The IRFU will not open contract negotiations with key players until after Christmas when there is more visibility on whether gans can return to stadia and in what numbers.

It means a nervous few weeks for the ninety players or just over half the playing population that are out of contract at the end of this season.

Among them are Johnny Sexton, Peter O’Mahoney, Keith Earls, CJ Stander, Tadhg Furlong and a number of other well-established internationals fulfilling key roles with the provinces.

Professional Rugby is in the most precarious position of all Ireland’s major sports with the cost of the professional game in the last year of published accounts coming to €46 million and with 85 per cent of revenues deriving from match ticket sales that are currently at zero.

Advances in the hopes of a vaccine and evidence coming back from areas around the world suggest there is the hope of getting some fans back into the Aviva Stadium and it is on that basis that the delayed opening of contract talks is based.

Speaking to media yesterday Nucifora said that the Union could not enter into contracts where there was a risk it would be unable to meet its financial obligations so risk assessment rather than player assessment is now uppermost in the minds of those running the sport.

Nucifora stressed that communication with players through Rugby Players Ireland had been ongoing and that they were aware of the balance that needs to be struck between employees of the game at all levels.

During the first period of lockdown, agreement was reached whereby players earning more than €25,000 a year would take a 10 per cent salary reduction for the second half of the year and that they would also defer 10 per cent until 2021.

Beyond December 31st, no such additional agreement has been confirmed and so players are potentially in a double bind of being down on income, with some money owing and still uncertain of whether there will be a contract for them at the end of the current season.

That’s not an ideal situation but neither is it for any other business or sector of society while we remain in such uncertain times.

Clearly though a return to fans at the Aviva Stadium, as well as the RDS, Thomond Park, the Sportsground and Kingspan Stadium is of the most critical importance for the sport.

 

Sport for Business Partners